I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to color measurement instruments, and more particularly to handheld color measurement instruments.
II. Description of the Art
Color measurement instruments are capable of reading colors for the subsequent conversion of the colors to a mathematical representation. That representation can be processed using techniques known to those skilled in the art to perform color functions. Color measurement instruments include, by way of illustration and not limitation, spectrophotometers, calorimeters, densitometers, and spectroradiometers.
A handheld color measurement instrument is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,986,769 issued Nov. 16, 1999 to Krzyminski and entitled "Hand-Held Instrument for Reflection Measuring on Printed Sheets and Test Charts." This instrument is used in reading "color bars" on printed sheets. While providing a certain level of convenience and accuracy, this scanner is not without its drawbacks. First, the instrument requires a handheld rule to guide the instrument along a linear path. Second, the instrument appears to include a single photodetector. Third, the space required by the encoder wheel limits the positioning of the support wheels.